Charl Marais @ Phamous Artists UK

All in the Family

Elizabeth Hurley’s Model Nephew

08.08.13 8:45 AM ET

For some models, making it to the top takes hard work, serious dedication, and countless jobs. Others are just born lucky.

Miles Hurley, the 16-year-old nephew of Elizabeth Hurley who's now a model in his own right, is a little bit of both.

With strong cheek-bones, a prominent nose, and defined upper lip, Hurley has been blessed with many of his aunt’s best features (recent portfolio shots of him pay a strong resemblance to her earliest images.) But while the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in terms of looks and talent, Miles was surprisingly discovered by a Next Model Management agent at Camden Market in Northwest London two years ago, unbeknownst to his supermodel aunt.

While Elizabeth Hurley is most notably recognized for her work with Estée Lauder and that iconic safety-pin Versace dress, 16-year-old Miles is making a splash on the fashion scene much earlier than she did: Hurley’s first modeling gig was at age 29. Miles may be new to modeling, but thanks to a tweet from Aunt Liz herself—that read “Here's my handsome nephew @Miles_Hurley @NextModels”—Miles’s modeling has suddenly grabbed the attention of the public eye.

Scouted at the ripe age of 13, football-loving Miles was just a normal student. Now, self-described as “determined,” Hurley is focusing on his modeling career full-time, with strong support from his mother agent, Next London’s “New Faces” division, which has been focusing on developing his talents.

"We knew straight away that he had an amazing look and he has grown into such a handsome guy, really strong—like a supermodel to be honest,” Sarah Vickery, head of Next London’s Men’s Division toldVogue UK. "We have just started sending him out to see casting directors now like Russell Marsh—we hope to get him in the men's shows in June. Miles will go on to work with the high-end luxury brands and magazines; we have very big plans for him."

And while he may still be in the early stages of modeling, Hurley's career is already picking up momentum: he's been signed to renowned Parisian agency New Madison, has been named a Models.com Model of the Week, has appeared in avideo by Anna Victoria Best for Boys by Girls, and even landed a recent shoot with British GQ. Plus, if Hurley is able to lay his charm and charisma on casting directors, he should be modeling for brands such as Dries Van Noten (which Marsh casts) in no time.

But looks and talent can only get a model so far. London-based fashion editorial photographer Charl Marais—who has been photographing Hurley since his discovery—described him as “a great guy, very nice, very down to earth.” As Marais told The Daily Beast: “I think coming from a photographer, that’s very important because that’s the way you connect with people.” Marais has watched Hurley grow over the years and said, “I think he’s going to do very well. He’s still growing into his looks very much, but he has very strong features.”

While Miles still has a bit of a baby face, his 6’2” stature is reminiscent of major British male models such as Danny Schwarz, Ollie Edwards, and Jeremy Young. At only 16, Miles has plenty of time to make his mark on the modeling world -- and if all goes according to plan, he should be strutting down runways in no time.